But overseas, the film grossed just $68 million, less than the $86.5 million total grossed this past weekend by “Fast X.” With a $250 million budget, the film may not have the overseas legs to turn a theatrical profit, let alone reach the $1 billion mark hit by past remakes of Disney Renaissance films like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin.”
“Fast X,” meanwhile, is legging out well internationally but took a “Black Adam”-esque domestic drop that was only slightly softened by the Memorial Day boost, with a $23 million three-day and $28.5 million four-day domestic weekend total. With $113.5 million domestic and $512.5 million worldwide, “Fast X” still has a chance at matching the $721 million global total of “F9” if it keeps legging out outside of the U.S. and China, but with a $340 million production budget, that would still likely not be enough to turn a theatrical profit.
For “Fast X,” the factors behind the film’s box office performance are pretty easy to diagnose. Its poor domestic legs can be attributed to good-but-not-great reception from the film’s hardcore fans on opening weekend, which converted to lower turnout from casual audiences that appear to be losing interest in “Fast & Furious.”
But overseas, the film’s big-screen spectacle is still very appealing, allowing for “Fast X” to post better numbers than “F9” did during the pandemic recovery period in 2021, even if it’s still short of the franchise’s peak performance with “Furious 7” in 2015.
For “Little Mermaid,” it’s a little harder to pinpoint exactly why this remake is struggling in countries that came out for past Disney remakes. Some box office analysts have pointed to the review-bombing that has befallen the film on multiple movie sites, including IMDb, which has responded by making changes to its audience rating system.
It’s possible that such a wave of negative reviews affected word of mouth, but there may have been other things missing from “The Little Mermaid” that other Disney remakes had to make global moviegoers interested in seeing a new spin on a classic animated film.
For one, while Halle Bailey has become a big draw for American moviegoers — especially Black audiences — and has received praise from most critics regardless of how they felt about the rest of the movie, she doesn’t have the global name recognition of someone like Will Smith, who played Genie in the 2019 “Aladdin” remake,” or Emma Watson, who was just six years removed from “Harry Potter” when she played Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.”
The 2019 “Lion King” remake didn’t have any big name actors directly onscreen, but its cutting-edge CGI first introduced by director Jon Favreau in “The Jungle Book” three years prior created the sort of big-screen spectacle that overseas audiences expect from Hollywood. “Little Mermaid” had some of those talking animals as well, but Sebastian and Flounder reimagined as a realistic crab and fish doesn’t inspire the same awe that CGI Simba or Shere Khan might.
The most likely explanation for the struggles of “Little Mermaid” is that nostalgia for the 1989 film alone was not enough to hook overseas moviegoers, be they families or general audience, without any of the extra hooks that made the different approaches past remakes took compared to their source material intriguing to a worldwide crowd. Combine that with the much better received “Fast X” — which has a well-recognized and diverse cast beloved by that franchise’s fans — and “Little Mermaid” just couldn’t compete.
Both films may still end up being profitable titles thanks to non-theatrical revenue streams, be it merchandising for “Little Mermaid” or digital rentals for “Fast X,” but needing a boost from such streams isn’t the goal studios have when they give these films such immense budgets. While the box office may be entering a period where $1 billion-plus hits become more infrequent, these two films are the latest signs that Hollywood will need to find some way to tamp down the production budgets on these tentpoles to adjust to the new post-pandemic normal.
But to reiterate what was said up top, both “Little Mermaid” and “Fast X” may be disappointments for Disney and Universal, but will be the toast of movie theaters as they are helping restore the box office to consistently higher grosses. While Memorial Day weekend grosses didn’t reach the $223 million mark set last year by a newly released “Top Gun: Maverick,” they were only 10% off that mark with $201 million grossed by all films over four days.
Similarly, domestic totals for May will be just short of last year’s $785 million total, likely finishing at around $750-$760 million. But the films released this month will help build momentum for a summer slate that will have many more high-profile releases than last year, and could help lift the season to a year-over-year increase.
The Doug Ford government will be fast-tracking a bill that will break up the Region of Peel into three independent cities.
A motion is expected to be tabled on Tuesday that would effectively allow the Progressive Conservatives to push the legislation through to the third reading without having to go to committee.
Typically, the role of a committee is to review a bill line-by-line and either approve or modify the language. It also gives stakeholders and community members the opportunity to present their views.
Just two weeks ago, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark tabled the Hazel McCallion Act to make Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon single-tier municipalities by 2025.
As part of the legislation, the government will create a transition board of up to five members to help “ensure the process is fair and balanced.” Recommendations are expected in the summer or fall of 2024.
The three municipalities have shared core services as well as a regional government since 1974. While Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has long supported the idea of independence, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is hesitant to deal with the financial ramifications and Caledon Mayor Annette Groves didn’t want it in the first place.
The Ontario New Democratic Party says pushing the legislation through without consultation “raises red flags.”
“It fails to consult Peel Region residents. It fails to hear from municipal workers whose jobs may be at stake. It fails to ensure the voices of each municipality are represented fairly on the Transition Board. It doesn’t provide for any transparency or accountability in how decisions are made,” said Jeff Burch, NDP critic for municipal affairs, in a statement.
“People in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon deserve a fair, thoughtful and transparent process for the dissolution of Peel Region — the dissolution is unprecedented, and it needs to be done right.”
It’s unclear how the divorce of Peel Region will impact many of the shared services in the area, such as paramedic services, health programs, services for seniors, child-care support, garbage collection and water treatment.
Some of those services, experts and politicians have said, may remain shared after the region is dissolved. For example, Crombie has indicated emergency services should stay “in tact” with a different funding model while water and wastewater services could transition to a user-pay service.
The motion to push the bill to third reading is expected to be debated and voted on Tuesday afternoon.
When asked about the decision to fast-track the legislation and whether unions of employees working for the region would be involved, Government House Leader Paul Calandra did not respond.
Instead, he pivoted to say that MPPs could have debaed the bill further the night before.
“Ironically, as soon as the legislative dining room closed last night, the NDP, they called it a night, closed the place down putting, put no more speakers up,” Calandra said.
“We're voting on it today Mr. Speaker. You know why? Because it's the right thing. We're going to start to remove those obstacles that are getting in the way of building homes.”
The Doug Ford government will be fast-tracking a bill that will break up the Region of Peel into three independent cities.
A motion is expected to be tabled on Tuesday that would effectively allow the Progressive Conservatives to push the legislation through to the third reading without having to go to committee.
Typically, the role of a committee is to review a bill line-by-line and either approve or modify the language. It also gives stakeholders and community members the opportunity to present their views.
Just two weeks ago, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark tabled the Hazel McCallion Act to make Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon single-tier municipalities by 2025.
As part of the legislation, the government will create a transition board of up to five members to help “ensure the process is fair and balanced.” Recommendations are expected in the summer or fall of 2024.
The three municipalities have shared core services as well as a regional government since 1974. While Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie has long supported the idea of independence, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown is hesitant to deal with the financial ramifications and Caledon Mayor Annette Groves didn’t want it in the first place.
The Ontario New Democratic Party says pushing the legislation through without consultation “raises red flags.”
“It fails to consult Peel Region residents. It fails to hear from municipal workers whose jobs may be at stake. It fails to ensure the voices of each municipality are represented fairly on the Transition Board. It doesn’t provide for any transparency or accountability in how decisions are made,” said Jeff Burch, NDP critic for municipal affairs, in a statement.
“People in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon deserve a fair, thoughtful and transparent process for the dissolution of Peel Region — the dissolution is unprecedented, and it needs to be done right.”
It’s unclear how the divorce of Peel Region will impact many of the shared services in the area, such as paramedic services, health programs, services for seniors, child-care support, garbage collection and water treatment.
Some of those services, experts and politicians have said, may remain shared after the region is dissolved. For example, Crombie has indicated emergency services should stay “in tact” with a different funding model while water and wastewater services could transition to a user-pay service.
The motion to push the bill to third reading is expected to be debated and voted on Tuesday afternoon.
Unpredictable and epic, the Garmin Unbound Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear returns June 2-3 to Emporia, Kansas and is set to be a pursuit of prairie pain on a scale not seen before. The 17th edition of the endurance event in the heart of the US Midwest features a record-breaking 4,000 amateur and professional athletes across six riding distances, varying from 25 to 250 miles.
The signature event is the Unbound Gravel 200, a 200-mile (322 km) escapade across the Flint Hills of Kansas which is known for its hilly, tire-shredding, sun-baked terrain. Unbound Gravel 200, run on Saturday, is also the second stop on the seven-race schedule of the 2023 Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda.
Leading the list of international contenders are last year’s winners. Dutch rider Ivar Slik (Wilier Factory Racing) and Argentinian Sofía Gómez Villafañe (Specialized). The defending champion in the women’s race comes in with impressive form, Villafañe having won the Belgian Waffle Ride Scottsdale, Fuego MTB XL at Sea Otter Classic and Whiskey 50 while Slik has been building, with a fifth at The Traka 200 and third at Gravel Locos.
Unbound Gravel has grown from a startline of 34 North American riders in 2006 to thousands who represent all 50 states and 38 countries. The majority score entry through a lottery process and seek to reach the finish for personal satisfaction and a custom Muck Insulated bottle with a limited-edition map graphic. There is a special ‘Gravel Grail’ custom glass chalice awarded to any participant who reaches the 1,000-mile club – five Unbound Gravel 200 finishes. And in keeping with the ‘spirit of gravel’, participants who finish before sundown become members of the “Race the Sun Club”.
New rules were adopted by organisers for the men’s and women’s elite fields in the 200-mile event this year. For the first time elite males, elite females and age group athletes will start in three separate waves, with the pro men taking the course at 5:50 a.m. followed by the pro women two minutes later. The balance of Unbound 200 riders will begin at 6 a.m. on the same start line on Commercial Street in downtown Emporia.
Aerobars, bar extensions or clip-on attachments will no longer be permitted for the elite riders. Last year both winners, Slik and Villafañe, as well as a large number of competitors used some type of “comfort” bars on their bikes. The other prominent rule change is that all elite riders will be subject to random drug testing. Life Time anticipates these changes will have a positive effect on the race dynamics, and create a safer, more competitive experience at the front of the field.
“We hope these changes allow for a number of outcomes – we hope to see a safer first 20 miles, without as much jostling for position with nowhere to go. We hope to see the women’s race unfold from the get-go, with a clear line of sight on where competitors are. We want to preserve the race experience for the masses, who are racing for a finish or a personal best, maybe an age group podium position,” said Michelle Duffy, marketing director for Off-Road Events at Life Time.
The contenders
Sofia Gomez Villafane celebrates her win at the Unbound finish line in 2022(Image credit: Snowy Mountain Photography)
The start lists for Unbound Gravel include a who’s-who of off-road veterans, retired road pros, current WorldTour roadies as well as specialists from around the globe in cyclocross and cross-country mountain bike disciplines. Last year’s results proved that the interest in gravel racing has exploded globally, and made its mark on this US classic, one that alternative-racer Lachlan Morton calls “the biggest gravel race in the world”.
Morton, who crashed out of the race in 2022, is one of the many among the elite pro field in the 200-mile event looking for a top result in Emporia. He's among the 35 men in the invitation-only Life Time Grand Prix who will line up Saturday, only Bradyn Lange opting out of the race from that group. A top contender from the Grand Prix that is looking to take the title from Slik is 2022 overall series champion Keegan Swenson, who finished behind the Dutchman in second place last year. In 2023, Swenson won Fuego XL in April and holds the early lead in the series.
Other top US riders in the mix are Peter Stetina, Alex Howes, Alexey Vermeulen, Howard Grotts, and you can never count out 2021 winner Ian Boswell. Canadian Adam Roberge also made his claim to a spot on the contenders list with his recent Gravel Locos win showing his potential to work his way up up the rank's after last year's finish just inside the top 10.
There are also a whole group of new challengers from Australia, with national gravel champion Brendan Johnston leading the charge in the men’s category, along with UCI Gravel World Series round winners Adam Blazevic and Tasman Nankervis.
Among a Dutch contingent are Laurens ten Dam, who was second at Unbound 200 in 2021 and fourth last year, plus Jasper Ockeloen, who was in the top 10 at Unbound in 2021 and won BWR California in April. Retired road professional Belgian Jan Bakelants is also giving Unbound a try and the German winner of 3RIDES and The Traka 200, Paul Voss, will be back to try and better last year's 15th place. Italian rider Mattia de Marchi – who came thirteenth last year – is coming in having delivered a scorching time at The Traka 360 last month, becoming the first rider ever to finish the 360km gravel event in under 13 hours.
A top challenger for Villafañe will be 2022 women's Life Time Grand Prix champion Haley Smith. She comes to Emporia as the newly-minted BWR Vancouver Island women's champion. The newest Grand Prix competitor, Lauren De Crescenzo, has her sights on the top step at Emporia, having finished second to Villafañe last May. She recently won a second title at The Mid South. Another US rider to watch is Heather Jackson, who won BWR California and Stetina's Paydirt. The 2021 runner-up and 2019 winner Amity Rockwell is once again carrying impressive form into the race this season, delivering a stunning record breaking performance at The Traka 360, finishing 45 minutes ahead of her nearest rival.
Justine Barrow has made her gravel strength clear, with the Australian parachuting into the US scene this year, immediately taking fourth at Desert Gravel and then third at Gravel Locos. Another rider to watch is German Svenja Betz, winner of multiple rounds of the UCI Gravel World Series in 2022 and this season she took second at The Traka 200 and third at The Gralloch. Still, like many of those who have made their mark in the shorter races of the UCI Gravel World Series, it is a bit of an unknown how she will perform over the longer distances. Fellow German rider Carolin Schiff has stepped to the top of the podium in the World Series this year and has also strengthened her claim with a win at The Traka 200 and at Gravel Locos.
Among the cyclocross specialists looking to make an impression at Unbound Gravel are Caroline Mani of France, Maghalie Rochette of Canada and three US riders - Rebecca Fahringer, Crystal Anthony and Pan-Am champion Raylyn Nuss. Three of the debuting US men at Unbound are 2021 elite cyclocross champion Eric Brunner, 2022 single-speed cyclocross champion Kerry Werner and single-speed runner-up Tobin Ortenblad.
The courses
No more aerobars in 2023(Image credit: Snowy Mountain Photography)
The courses unfurl each year in a different direction, through the sharp rocks, primitive roads and steep pitches in and out of gullies across eastern Kansas. What doesn't change each year is the type of roads, most travelling on remote and primitive terrain. They all remain open to traffic, be it motorised vehicles in a few towns or roaming livestock across extensive Tallgrass prairie.
Weather plays a big role in the consistency of the surface, with rain turning dirt to heavy mud, or the wind creating chaos with dust. Last year riders endured wet and muddy conditions, and this year's forecast tips toward much of the same.
Athletes are also responsible for course navigation in a self-supported environment, with only two checkpoints on the 200-mile route (in Eureka at mile 79 and in Madison mile 167) and one checkpoint on the 100-mile course (in Madison at mile 64).
The routes head back to the south this year, in a counter-clockwise direction from Emporia,. The 200-mile route, actually 205.5 miles (330km), includes 9,100 feet (2774m) of elevation gain and will feature a number of new sections. including D Hill at Mile 10, which will be the first hill outside of Emporia. This hill hasn’t been used as part of the course since 2015. From mile marker 59 thru 63 is the approach to Bee-Yotch hill, a punchy little climb into a curving, doubletrack descent before the big climb.
Also new is Horse & Buggy Highway, a nine-mile section that marks the half-way point for the 200 mile riders (mile 96 through 105). This secluded road with a series of rollers leads to a crossing over the Verdigris River at Rocky Ford Crossing, and back in 2016, when it was last used, the water was waist high.
The famous Texaco Hill returns, with different approaches on both halves of the course, first on mile 40 to 43, then steeper from mile 143 to 146 on a return to the ridge.
And of course, the terrain dictates an entire realm of nutrition and equipment decisions. Much of the cycling industry looks at Unbound Gravel as its version of the Tour de France to introduce new tech, from new bikes to sturdier wheels, wider tyres and endless other gear selections. Let the gravel games begin.
Halifax Mayor Mike Savage commented Monday on the fast-moving wildfire that has forced evacuations and local emergencies outside the Halifax area, saying the fire hasn’t expanded its perimeter since Sunday. "We are in an unprecedented fire response that has displaced more than 16,000 residents of our community. Now, we have not expanded the perimeter since yesterday, which is some hope that perhaps the situation has stabilized," Savage said.
It’s been nearly 10 years since Paul Walker died tragically at the age of 40 in a car accident, but his brother Cody is keeping the late actor’s memory alive.
As seen in People, Cody Walker and his wife Felicia have named their newborn son Paul, in tribute to the fallen “Fast & Furious” star. Paul Barrett (“Bear”) Walker was born late last month.
“This November will mark 10 years since we lost my brother, Paul, and I just felt now was the appropriate time,” Cody Walker told the publication.
“My brother, Paul, was Paul William Walker IV and that name goes back four generations,” he continued. “Within the family, he went by ‘little Paul’ or ‘Paul 4,’ even though he quickly outgrew our father in height. It was important to me to have that name carry on.”
CNN has reached out to representatives of Cody Walker for confirmation.
Paul Walker died in late November 2013, while “Furious 7” was still in production. After a production hiatus, filming continued, with Cody Walker and their brother Caleb acting as stand-ins for the late star.
At the time of his death, Walker was in the passenger seat of a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, driven by a racing team partner, CNN reported. The car slammed into a light pole and burst into flames in an office park in the community of Valencia in Santa Clarita, about 30 miles north of Hollywood.
This year, Paul Walker’s daughter Meadow Walker Thornton-Allan made a cameo in the latest installment of the film franchise that made her father famous, “Fast X.”
Thornton-Allan posted a preview of her appearance in the movie on her verified Instagram page earlier this month, writing about how much it meant to her to be part of the movie.
“The first fast was released when I was one year old! I grew up on set watching my father, Vin, Jordana, Michelle, Chris and more on the monitors,” she said of the “Fast” core cast. “Thanks to my dad, I was born into the fast family. I can’t believe now I get to be up there too.”
When it is time for some true comfort food, many turn to a plate of fried chicken to satisfy their cravings. A good plate of fried chicken will combine a crispy outer shell with a juicy interior, often accompanied by bold flavor and, occasionally, a nice kick of heat. The best part is that many fast-food and fast-casual restaurants across the country serve great fried chicken at low prices, making it a truly accessible meal. It may not be the epitome of a healthy meal, but few foods can come remotely close to fried chicken's crowd-pleasing taste and texture.
Each of these fast-food chains serves tasty bone-in fried chicken, and they all offer something unique to their customers. Whether the chicken is marinated for several hours before cooking or finished in a signature spice, you will find a different reason to visit each of the following restaurants at least once if you are a fan of all things fried chicken. Often associated with Southern cooking, you'll find that some of the best fast-food fried chicken can be found at restaurants with international influences—but of course, the more familiar fried chicken is also a standout, for good reason.
Here are eight spots for the best fried chicken in a flash.
Most fried chicken connoisseurs are familiar with the hallmark fast -ood brand KFCt. But have you ever stopped and wondered just how KFC's iconic fried chicken is made? According to its website, KFC uses a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices that it rocks and rolls its chicken in before pressure cooking at a low temperature to lock in the flavor. Whether you want drumsticks, thighs, breasts, or wings, KFC has a combo meal for you, with your choice of Original, Extra Crispy, or Hot and Spicy breading.
You may have never heard of Jollibee if you do not live on the West Coast, but if you love fried chicken, you should make it a point to get acquainted with this Filipino fast-food chain. Its signature menu item is what it calls Chickenjoy, which is made with a secret marinade responsible for its juicy flavor. Each piece of chicken is hand-breaded to be what Jollibee describes as "crispylicious." The fried chicken can be served regular or spicy, and it can come with unique side dishes you will not find at other fast-food restaurants, like Jolly Spaghetti or Palabok Fiesta.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
If classic Southern cooking is what you are looking for, head to Bojangles. The fast-food chain is known for its signature never-frozen Cajun-season fried chicken, which is marinated for 12 hours prior to cooking, per Nashville Post. Customers can choose from all of the traditional cuts of chicken, including legs, thighs, breasts, and wings. There is no mistake that you are in for some excellent Southern cuisine, as made evident by the fact that Bojangles' fried chicken Family Meals come with a half-gallon of iced tea.
Church's Texas Chicken has been serving up tasty fried chicken since 1952, and from its earliest years, it distinguished itself from the competition with a peculiar side. Rather than come up with an elaborate spice to add heat, Church's gives power to the people. Jalapeño peppers are aplenty at Church's, with customers able to take their fried chicken to the next level with just one squeeze. Jennifer Chasteen, Church's former vice president of brand strategy and activation, once shared with QSR Magazine that "guests have been squeezing jalapeño juice over our chicken for spice and heat for 65 years."
The fast-food chain also prides itself on freshness. According to My San Antonio, the original design of Chuch's was so that customers could watch the chicken being freshly prepared while they waited for their order.
There is a reason so many customers "love that chicken from Popeyes." The fast-food chain marinates its chicken for 12 hours in "traditional savory Louisiana herbs and seasonings" before cooking, resulting in a memorable flavor and a satisfying crunch. That commitment to Louisiana-style fried chicken is evident when you visit Popeyes, with its spicy variation with a bold Cajun flavor ranking number one in a recent fried chicken taste test.
TKK Fried Chicken first opened in Taiwan in 1974, expanding internationally to New York City in 2018. Since then, the fast-food chain has grown quickly, with approximately two dozen locations in the United States as of 2023. TKK Fried Chicken is known for "mixing the bold flavors of the East with the juicy golden crispy techniques of the West," according to its website. Using just one layer of breading, its chicken is fried in pure soybean oil for its signature flavor and crispiness.
Hattie B's Hot Chicken is a small chain with just 10 locations nationwide. Originally from Nashville, Hattie B's stays true to its roots with authentic Nashville hot fried chicken. That heat can vary quite a bit depending on how much you can handle, with levels rangings from Southern, which sticks to bold flavor with no heat whatsoever, all the way to "Shut the Cluck Up."
Hattie B's Hot Chicken Executive Chef Biran Morris shared with Bham Now, "We think we do a really good job at what we do. We're constantly refining and working to perfect our practice. The nice thing about having a small menu and not rolling out specials or limited-time offers all the time is that we get to spend our time making what we do better."
Pollo Campero first opened in Guatemala in 1971 and has expanded internationally to over 350 locations worldwide, nearly 80 of which are located in the United States, according to 1851 Franchise. Its Campero Fried Chicken is the menu's focal point, offering what Pollo Campero describes as "marinated to the bone, slow-down-and-enjoy-every-bite, food." There is no mistaking the Latin inspiration behind Pollo Campero's menu, making it a unique fried chicken among a sea of Southern-style options here in the U.S.
Carly Terzigni
Carly Terzigni is a freelance writer specializing in all things food, travel, Disney, and theme parks. Read more about Carly
Forward Adam Fantilli, a projected top-five pick in next month's NHL draft, scored at 8:56 of the third period to lift Canada to a 4-2 semifinal victory over host Latvia at the men's world hockey championship on Saturday. The win sealed the Canadians' place in Sunday's gold-medal game, where they will face Germany, which beat the United States 4-3 in overtime in the other semifinal. The 18-year-old Fantilli fooled a defenceman before netting his first goal of the tournament with 11:04 to go as C
Let's cut to the chase: You want to know if there are any post-credits scenes in Fast X, the latest Fast and the Furious movie. We'll tell you right here: There is one scene and it comes during the mid-credits.
Don't read any further if you want to avoid spoilers!
Like every movie in the franchise before it, Fast X pulls off a high-wire third act full of car stunts, guns, and explosions. But instead of neatly resolving the action in time for a backyard BBQ with the Fast Family, the tenth movie’s final half hour floors the proverbial gas pedal to set up the conflicts for its sequel (and potential threequel). None of the action is particularly complicated, but there is a lot of it.
And all that action leads to a ton of questions we have about where Fast 11 will go. But before we get to those, let’s talk about the ending…
Fast X Ending Explained: So Many Cliffhangers
Just as it seemed like John Cena’s Jakob Toretto would get his older brother’s eight-year-old son, Brian, aka Little B (Leo Abelo Perry), who can already do donuts in parking lots, to the crew’s hidden rendezvous point in Portugal to reunite, they’ve been smoked out. Jason Momoa’s ballet-loving buff Joker villain Dante Reyes — retconned to be the son of Fast 5’s politician, drug kingpin, and vault-haver Hernan Reyes — has seized possession of the ultimate hacking and tracking tool, the God Hand, triangulating the secret location. Henchmen swarm, and Jakob and Little B escape in Jakob’s latest project, a car rigged with dual cannons.
In a lengthy car chase, Vin Diesel’s Dom backs his car out mid-air from the underbelly of a military jet helmed by Aimes (Alan Ritchson), the new head of the Agency, who suddenly (and suspiciously, even) became an ally in Rio. With Dante on Jakob’s tail, he nabs Little B, who climbed onto the back of the car in order to fix the jammed cannon rig. Dom catches up, flanked by bad guy cars, and Jakob launches his car with a split fuel line over the median, sacrificing himself to give Dom the space to get his son back. In a truly wild two-car spinout — though not before Dom crashes two helicopters that harpooned his car — Little B opens the passenger door of Dante’s car right as it aligns with Dom’s open passenger window and leaps inside, successfully reuniting with his dad by listening to the wisdom he got from the top of the movie: “Find the line, feel the car, and let it fly.”
'Find the line, feel the car, and let it fly.'
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It would have been a natural end for any other Fast movie, but Fast X still has a lot more gas left in the tank. Dom might have gotten Little B back, but Dante has a few more moves to whip out on top of the scenic Alto Tamega Dam. First is a little classic betrayal: Dante reveals that Aimes has been working with him all along; he was the man in the blue suit from the vault heist flashback at the beginning of the movie, and he shoots down the incoming plane carrying Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris). Dante then remotely controls two oil tankers on either side of Dom’s car to smash into each other, which Dom evades by careening down the side of the roller coaster-steep face of the dam, losing his car in the escape. In Dante’s final trick, he blows up the dam, sending a rushing wave of water towards Dom and Little B — and Fast X cuts over to Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and Cipher (Charlize Theron) snowshoeing it through Antarctica when Gal Gadot’s once-dead character Gisele pops through the frigid sea with a rescue submarine.
Is There a Post-Credits Scene in Fast X?
But wait, there’s still more! Fast X features a mid-credits scene, and it’s a big one.
After the initial credits, an unknown agent stumbles into another of Dante’s phony lairs — this one’s a church (perhaps from Fast & Furious 4?) with a single old TV, from which Dante announces more new information for viewers. This masked man apparently shot and killed Hernan Reyes after the devastating car crash on the bridge in Rio de Janeiro in Fast 5, and he’s on Dante’s hit list. The guy pulls off his mask and there’s Dwayne Johnson as the salt-and-pepper goateed Luke Hobbs, the Diplomatic Security Service agent who was hunting down Dom and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) in Fast 5. The movie, finally, ends.
And no, there is no other scene after the final credits roll.
Our Biggest Questions After Watching Fast X
So with all of the characters split up across the globe and several wide-open plot points, here are the questions that the Fast X sequel will have to answer…
How Are Dom and Little B Going to Escape the Exploded Dam?
After barreling down the incredibly steep facade of Portugal’s Alto Tamega Dam, Dom and Little B have evaded the oil tanker crash orchestrated by Dante Reyes. But of course, as a sadistic madman often does, Dante has one more disastrous trick up his sleeve, exploding the dam walls and sending thousands of tons of water hurtling toward the Torettos, who are left without a car. The camera closes in on a tight shot of Dom huddling with his son before abruptly cutting to Letty and Cipher’s troubles in Antarctica.
Though they’re in a perilous situation, it’s hard to imagine that the next Fast movie would kill off Dom and his kid. But how will they get out of this pickle? Maybe someone will bring a helicopter in at the last possible second before they’re swept away by the gushing current of water? Likely, we’ll get the answer in the first few minutes of the next film.
Did Anyone (ie. Jakob, Roman, Tej) Who Seemingly Died Actually Survive Their Fiery Crashes?
Right as we learn that Aimes has been working with Dante since the vault heist in Fast 5, the Agency mole bazookas down Roman and Tej’s incoming plane, which crashes into the side of a nearby mountain in a deadly blaze. Minutes before, Jakob sacrifices himself in his cannon car to stop Dante’s guys from tailing Dom and Little B. Though both crashes look pretty damn life-ending, the Fast franchise has a penchant for reviving characters presumed dead (see: the explanation of Han’s assassination evasion with the help of Kurt Russell’s Mr. Nobody in F9; Giselle, somehow, in this movie).
Jakob’s car bomb certainly seemed a little more final than the plane crash — Roman and Tej did briefly see the rocket incoming, after all, and it’s possible that they were able to evacuate in the nick of time. Side note: Though Roman and Tej were kicking around with Han (Sung Kang) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) the entire movie, were the former two actually on that plane? Only Roman and Tej are shown, bickering and making up.
How Is Gal Gadot’s Gisele Yashir Alive?
Gisele, a weapons expert and ex-Mossad agent who has popped up in several Fast movies, sacrificed herself at the end of Fast & Furious 6 to save Han, her love interest since Fast 5, from one of Deckard Shaw’s henchmen. And yet, there she is, smiling and waving to Letty and Cipher from the hatch of her massive rescue submarine that had just surfaced through an ice sheet in the final minutes of Fast X. Once she actually gets some lines, Gisele has a lot of explaining to do about how the hell she’s alive and how she managed to track down the two women in the middle of the sub-zero tundra.
What Are Hobbs and Shaw up To?
After closing the loop from F9’s mid-credits scene, wherein Shaw opens his seedy London lair to find Han at his doorstop, and turning Hobbs into yet another target of Dante’s through Fast X’s post-credits scene retcon, the odd couple are officially back in the Fast Fam fold. Learning that his mother, Dame Helen Mirren’s Magdalene “Queenie” Shaw, is a target for the Agency for associating with Dom, Shaw skids off in his car (vanity plate: RO4D RGE) with a sack of guns to go protect her. Hobbs, like Dom, is lured into a phony safehouse where Dante tells him about the target on his head. Obviously, the tailend of the Fast saga is pulling out all the stops, turning enemies into family, in order to end Dante’s streak of global terrorism, and certainly the next movie(s) will address how the Hobbs and Shaw of it all play into Dom’s endgame. Maybe Queenie has a line out to Mr. Nobody, which leads us to…
Where Is Mr. Nobody?
Mr. Nobody, the head of the Agency, has been effectively missing from the present-day timeline since the end of Fate of the Furious, the eighth movie. At the beginning of F9, Roman, Tej, and Ramsey interrupt Dom and Letty’s peaceful life with an SOS from Mr. Nobody, informing the crew that the plane on which he was transporting the captured Cipher was downed, setting Cipher free once again and leaving Mr. Nobody’s status unknown. In Fast X, Brie Larson’s Tess, Mr. Nobody’s daughter, steps in, letting the crew know that her dad is actually in hiding. But where, exactly, is he? Will he be able to end the Agency’s manhunt for Dom, etc.? Will he have tech even more powerful than the God Hand up his sleeve? TBD, but definitely expect him to finally resurface.
How Will the Fast Family Link Up Again?
With the Portuguese rendezvous point compromised, Letty and Cipher and Gisele in Antarctica, Han and Ramsey possibly still in London, and Dom and Little B (and maybe Roman and Tej and Jakob) in rural Portugal, the family is, obviously, dispersed around continents, unable to harness their full potential in the fight against Dante. How will they all reconvene to take down the Big Bad, and where? Maybe Mr. Nobody’s secret spot will have something to do with it, but really, I have no idea! Next.
Will the Next Fast Movie Add a CGI Paul Walker?
Literally God forbid.
How Will Dom and the Crew Take Out Dante Reyes?
Dante proved himself to be a slippery villain in Fast X, somehow constantly evading authorities and leaving the Fast Fam on the hook for his destruction. He’s a sociopathic gadget guy who loves blowing stuff up, and now that he’s got his hands on the God’s Eye after snatching it from a downed Tess, there’s a lot more havoc for him to wreak. What will Dom and co.’s ultimate plan be to stop him? Whatever it is, it better top launching a crappy old Pontiac Fiero into space.
